Automatic railroad signal



Sept. 15. 1925.

. s. CHISMADIA AUTOMATIC RAILROAD smrm.

2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 1 1925 FIG. 9

Sept. 15, 1925.

S. CHISMADIA AUTOMATIC RAILROAD SIGNAL Filed June 17, 1925 2Sheets-Sheet 2 .U w M L w m t L N r M W 3 w 3 w 6 4 b F. J .7 a 2 m F uo O H H \r y o 0 Q c a 7 H 2 2 2 6 2 Y M r 4 e 73 0 fin 1/1 a M E r w ww l I. U 2 a M fl 3 L) 3 l P v c m \r I Q & 7 i

Patented Sept. 15, 192.5.

UNITED STATES srnvn CHISMADIA, or DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

AUTOMATIC RAILROAD SIGNAL.

Application filed .Tune 17, 1925. Serial No. 37,832.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, STEVE GI-IISMADIA, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, residing at Detroit, in the county of Wayne and State ofMichigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in AutomaticRailroad Signals, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements inautomatic railroad signals, and has for its primary object to provide asignal for railroad or other car track crossings to give both an audibleand visual signal to indicate the approach to the crossing of a railroadcar or the like.

A further object of the invention is to provide an automatic signal ofthe type above set forth wherein a pendulous signal arm normally hiddenfrom view is adapted to be automatically oscillated or swung to exposedpositions to indicate the approach of a train with the signal arm beingin the form of a bell which is preferably painted red to be clearlyviewable and also sound the alarm when operated.

Another object of the invention is to pro vide an automatic signal forrailroad or street car crossings wherein a single signal arm located atone .side of the crossing is operatively connected with train operatedtrip devices supported on the ties of either single or double-tracks,and any number of trip devices desired maybe employed and positioned inspaced relations to effect a substantially continuous operation of thesignal device during the approach of the train toward the crossing.

With the above general objects in view and others that will appear asthe nature of the invention is better understood, the same consists ofthe novel form, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter morefully described, shown in the accompanying drawings and claimed.

In the drawings, wherein like reference characters designatecorresponding parts throughout the several views,

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic top plan view of an automatic railroadcrossing signal constructed in accordance with the present invention,showing double tracks, the signal arm or post and train operated tripdevices arranged along the tracks,

Figure 2 is a perspective view of one of the tracks showing theconnected trip devices mounted on the rail supporting ties and connectedtogether for simultaneous operation with the covers for the trip devicesremoved,

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the signal post,

Figure 4: is a vertical sectional view, partly broken away, of thesignal post normally hidden between a guard hood and illustrated bydotted lines in its oscillated exposed positions,

Figure 5 is an end elevational view of the upper end of the signal post,

Figure 6 is a perspective view of one of the train operated tripdevices,

Figure 7 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view through a casingenclosing the trip device or lever,

Figure 8 is a vertical cross-sectional view taken on line VIIIVIII ofFig. 7 showing the trip lever pivotally supported in the side walls ofthe casing,

Figure 9 is a top plan view of the easing, and

Figure 10 is an end elevational view, partly in section showing a triparm carried by a train or car moving through the slotted upper end ofthe casing for engaging the trip lever.

Referring more in detail to the accompanying drawings, the referencenumeral 1 designates the usual railroad ties for supporting the rails 2and with which track structure visual and audible signal devices areassociated to be arranged ad acent cross- .ings.

The signal device includes a tubular post 3 mounted upon a base block 4and carrying an elbow fitting 5 at its upper end to which a horizontaltubular arm 6 is connected. The outer end of the tubular arm 6 is splitat its lower side and spread apart as shown in Fig. 5 and a guard hood 7overlying the outer split end of the arm 6 car ries depending guardplates 8.

A signal arm in the form of an oscillating or swingingly mounted bell 9carries side arms 10 at its upper end that are fixed to the shaft 11journaled in the side walls of the outer end of the tubular arm'6 andsaid shaft 11 carries a sprocket wheel 12 intermediate the ends thereofas shown in Figs. 4c and 5. A sprocket chain 13 passes over the sprocketwheels 12 and has one end thereof secured to a coil spring 14 that isanchored as at 15 within the tubular arm 6. ,A, cord or cable 16attached to the 01 .116? 6 d of the sprocket: chain passes over a guidepulley 17 mounted in the elbow connection 5, the cable 16 passingdownwardly through the tubular post 3 andarou'nd the guide pulley 18 atthe lower end of the post to pass therefrom through the opening19forattachment to the trainoperated trip devices arranged along the track.The bell 9 is preferably painted: red so thatwhen the same is operatedin a pendulous manner,- the same swings laterally of the guard walls 8.

--to expose the same to view asillustrated by 2Ol1'av-ingtl1ebaseportions 21 secured to the dotted lines in Fig. 4 andalso for giving an audible-signal. y

"One form of trip device is shown in Figs: 2 and (Sand includes anglesupports ties 1 with the trip lever 22 pivotally sup-- ported as at 23'between the upper ends of the angle supports. The pivotal supports23-for the trip-levers are disposed above the transverse median llnesthereof to permit increased swinging'movement for the lower 'endsofthetriplevers, A laterally resilient trip arm 24 carried by a support 25that may be' mounted upon the trout and rear ends of a trainO1"HICELU'iS'mOVGCl into en-' 'gagement with-the upper end of the triple ver 22 for operating thesame: As shown 1n -Fig. 2 the trip'devices orlevers are arranged in spaced relations along the trackand are connectedby cords-or cables'26 having end nah ,arm Q. l f desired thefirst one ofthe series otztrip devices-as shown in Fig. 1

may have a spring connection 29 between the lower end ofthe tripleverand an' adja:

' trip-'ar1n'24e carried-thereby in aposition to eont aot th'e triplever 22 for operating the relatively short flexible'chain connections2'?- 'w'ith't-hefilower'endsof th trip levers, the

several t-rip levers being connected in se ries so that movement of thetrip lever first engaged by the trip arm 24 will be transmitted throughthe entire series.

at 28 to-the cable 16 for operating the sigsame with the cables 26 and16.- A pull upon the cable 16 will operate the sprocket chain 18 againstthe ten'sion of the spring- 14 to rotate the shaft 11 and signah arm 9in the" form of a bell carried thereby toshift; the bell laterally ofthe'guard walls 8.

The-weight of: the bell combined with the functioning; of the twosprings 14%- and 29 will cause't-he bell to swing backwardly andforwardly to exposed positionsateach sideof the guard walls 8 asindicated by dotted 7 As shownin Figs 1 and 3 the cables 26' areattachedas lines in Fig. 4 to give an audible signal while movement of the belland its color will attract attention thereto. The bell 9 will besubstantially continuous in its op-- eration effected by the trip arm24: successively engaging the several trip levers 22 and as'the pivotalsupports 28 for the trip levers are arranged adjacent the upper endsthereof, a wider throw of movement will be given the lower endofeachtrip-lever-.- As indicatedin Figs 1 and 35 a'single signal post maylie-operated by trip devices arr-angedalong one or more tracks with-eachseries of trip devices having a cable connection26 with the cable 16that is connected to the signal arm.

In the torm of the invention" shown in Figs- 7 to 10, the trip leversare eachpivotally supportedin a casings/having. side walls 30 and-endwalls 31, the casing. havingv base flanges 32 for supportingthe-sameupon-the ties-1. The upper'wall 33 of the casing islongitudinally.slotted as at 34 with the-outer ends of the: slotsenlarged as at 85 and-shown-morc clearly in Fig 9. A shaft 36supportedrin the side walls 30 of the casing pivotally supports the triplever 22'andpipe'sections 37 connected to the end walls 31 ofthe casingconstitut guides for the'cables 26 andchains 27.: The trip arm 24carried by thetrain or'car is laterally resilient and is'initiallyreceived in the widened end 35 oftheslot 3 b to be correctly guided toand through the slot for engagement witlr the trip lever 22 as shown inFig. 10.

From-the above detail description of the invention, it is believed that.the construc-- tionand operation thereot will at once beapparent,itbeing. noted that the signal post may be of the desiredheight and the'signal armor bell 90fa-size that when operated thesignal'will be aud-ibly andvisually given in atmost' efiicient manner, Itis-also to be noted that the signaldevice isoperated when trains'or carstravel in either direction over the traclsand that the spring devicesassociatedjwith the cables normally retains the signal arm or bell=1n ahidden position.

WVhile there are herein shown and described the preferred embodiments ofthe present invention, it is nevertheless to be understood that minorchanges may be'made therein without departingv from the spirit and scopeof the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is-:

1.- In an automatic railroad signal, an

audible and visual pendulous signal arm,;

train operated trip devices, cable connections between the trip devicesandsignal arm a guard for normally holdingthe sig nalarmin an unexposedposition and springs associated with the cable for arrest-- ingmovementof the signal arm when the trip devices are out of operation.

2. In an automatic railroad signal, an audible and visual penduloussignal arm, train operated trip devices, cable connections between thetrip devices and signal arm, springs associated with the cable forarresting movement of the signal arms when the trip devices are out ofoperation, each trip device including a lever pivotally supportedadjacent its upper end to permit a longer movement at the lower endandcables connecting the lower ends of the trip levers.

3. In an automatic railroad signal, an audible and visual penduloussignal arm, train operated trip devices, cable connections between thetrip devices and signal arm, a guard for normally holding the signal armin an unexposed position, springs associated with the cable forarresting movement of the signal arm when the trip devices are out ofoperation, each trip device including a lever pivotally supportedadjacent its upper end to permit a longer movement at the lower end, andcables connecting the lower ends of the trip levers.

.4. In an automatic railroad signal, an audible and visual penduloussignal arm, train operated trip devices, cable connections between thetrip devices and signal arm, springs associated with the cable forarresting movement of the signal arms when the trip devices are out ofoperation, each trip device including a lever pivotally supportedadjacent its upper end to permit a longer movement at the lower end,cables connecting the lower ends of the trip levers, a casing for eachtrip lever having a slotted upper wall with the opposite ends of theslot enlarged and a laterally resilient trip arm adapted to be movedthrough the slot for engagement with the upper end of the trip lever.

5. In an automatic railroad. signal, an audible and visual penduloussignal arm, train operated trip devices, cable connections between thetrip devices and signal arm, a guard for normally holding the signal armin an unexposed position, springs associated with the cable forarresting movement of the signal arm when the trip devices are out ofoperation, each trip device including a lever pivotally supportedadjacent its upper end to permit a longer movement at the lower end,cables connecting the lower ends of the trip levers, a casing for eachtrip lover having a slotted upper wall with the opposite ends of theslot enlarged and a laterally resilient trip arm adapted to be movedthrough the slot for engagement with the upper end of the trip lever.

In testimony whereof I afiix my si nature.

STEVE oHisMifDiA.

